Students honor local theater legend

COLUMBUS, Ga. – The community has demonstrated a tremendous outpouring of support as they remember a beloved actor and teacher, Ron Anderson. He died of cancer earlier this week.

Some Brookstone students wore Springer Theater Academy t-shirts to school Friday instead of the Brookstone t-shirts they wear on Fridays. Sophie Brown, a junior at Brookstone, is just one of the thousands of students impacted by Ron Anderson and the Springer Theatre Academy.

“It has helped me become the person I am today. It has taught me to live life to the fullest to really be true to who I am and to trust myself and that I don’t augment who I am as a person to impress other people,” Brown said.

Anderson founded the Springer Theatre Academy 20 years ago.

“He was the most genuine person and he was always there and he was there for everyone and he was genuinely happy to be there and support you,” Brown said through tears.

She says Anderson treated young kids and adults with the same respect.

“He would trust them and he could see the potential in everyone,” she explained.

Anderson and the Springer Theatre Academy helped Abbey Crowley find her niche when she moved to Columbus a few years ago.

“It’s where I’ve met my best friends. It’s where I’ve spent all of my time outside of school and it’s provided an outlet of creativity for me and a social outlet where I’ve just found people that I fit in with,” Crowley said.

Both students plan to carry on Anderson’s legacy.

“Through every person that he’s shared a moment with. That he’s shared so many moments with and that he’s put a little part of himself in. Each student of the academy, each teacher, each parent, each friend of a student,” Crowley said.

“Doing my job well. And being kind to others because that was his core value,” Brown added.

A core value that will be carried on by the thousands of lives Anderson touched.

A service celebrating Anderson’s life will be held on Saturday, August 27th at 2:30 p.m. at the Springer Opera House. The service will be live-streamed on wrbl.com.

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